The North Greene Spartans will venture away from home to face off against Springfield at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
North Greene was handed an 11-run loss in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Thursday. They skirted past Greenfield/Northwestern 8-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Spartans have posted since May 1, 2025.
Chelsey Castleberry made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up four earned (and two unearned) runs off nine hits. Castleberry was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Adilynn Churchill was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted over her last ten games. Larissa Heberling also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
North Greene kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Springfield got themselves on the board against Decatur Eisenhower on Wednesday, but Decatur Eisenhower never followed suit. They put the hurt on the Panthers with a sharp 15-0 victory. With that win, Springfield brought their scoring average up to 6.6 runs per game.
Like North Greene, Springfield also got a great game from a two-way player: Maylee Payne. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over four innings pitched. Payne was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Erin Stoops, who went 2-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. Alivia Rothermich was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
North Greene's victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 4-7. As for Springfield, they now have a winning record of 7-6.
North Greene suffered a grim 19-0 defeat to Springfield in their previous meeting on Saturday. Can the Spartans avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
